Southern California is a hub of highway travel – the urban sprawl, large number of residents commuting to metro areas for work, and lack of efficient public transportation in many areas means people in Wildomar depend on their cars and the highways to go about daily life. Unfortunately, the heavy use of highways means that accidents such as jackknifes, rollovers, pileups and sideswipes do occur and cause heavy injuries and numerous fatalities. The tragedy of these injuries and deaths on the highway is only compounded by the fact many of the accidents were due to at least one party’s negligence behind the wheel of their vehicles. If you or a loved one were hurt in a California freeway collision, contact a Wildomar Highway Accident Lawyer to see if you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries.
California’s Office of Traffic Safety reported 128 injuries and deaths from traffic collisions on Wildomar’s roads in 2016 alone, and untold numbers of other injuries went unreported. In 2015 a vehicle rolled over on the busy 15 freeway north of Bundy Canyon Road and killed the driver. The large number of motorists traveling the freeway, as well as the large number of commercial trucks traveling roads around Wildomar in busy Riverside County, means everyone traveling the highways should exercise utmost caution to avoid accidents and potentially life-threatening injuries.
What Injuries Commonly Occur in a Highway Accident?
The elevated speed limits on California’s highways as compared to city streets makes any collision into a worrisome event. Studies have shown that just a 5 mile an hour speed limit increase increases the fatality rate in accidents by 8 percent. The potential for serious injury is only increased considering the large number of commercial trucks on the freeway in Riverside County weighing easily over 100,000 pounds. Victims lucky enough to survive Wildomar highway accidents commonly face severe injuries, temporary or permanent inability to return to work, and a lifetime of medical care and accommodations. Victims may suffer:
- Head injuries,
- Traumatic brain injuries,
- Neck injuries,
- Whiplash,
- Lacerations,
- Spinal cord injuries like paralysis,
- Fractures, and
- Internal bleeding.
Of all injuries, traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) may be the riskiest for victims. These may be fatal if untreated, but many cases aren’t diagnosed because victims don’t get a medical evaluation after their accident and symptoms of a TBI may not present for days afterwards. There is also no way to diagnose a TBI without a medical evaluation; this is one reason it’s so critical to be seen by a medical professional as soon as possible and attend all recommended follow-ups.
Can I Win My Case?
Victims injured in a Wildomar highway accident often seek compensation for their injuries by filing a lawsuit arguing they were harmed by someone else’s negligence. Proving negligence generally involves demonstrating you were owed a duty of care by the defendant, they breached it through an act or omission, and the breach injured you. A negligent defendant is liable for your injuries unless they can raise a valid defense.
Victims hurt in high accidents may also establish the presumption of a defendant’s negligence if they can show they were hurt when someone violated a law or regulation – including traffic laws prohibiting behaviors like speeding or texting while driving. Evidence at a scene like skid marks or eyewitness accounts can be helpful in establishing whether or not a rule was broken and greatly help proving whether someone behaved negligently.
Even if you were partially at fault for the accident, you may still be able to recover some damages for your injuries. California adopted the doctrine of comparative negligence, which allows courts to evaluate the facts of each case and assign the parties involved a percentage of fault for an injury-causing event such as a highway accident. Once an award of damages is made, the amount you may recover is reduced by your percentage of fault for the accident.
How Much Am I Entitled to Recover for My Injuries?
It’s only natural to wonder how much your negligently inflicted injuries may be worth. Courts that determine you were harmed by another’s negligence may award you damages for your suffering and your losses. Highway accident injuries are often particularly severe due to travel at elevated speed limits and the heavy presence of massive commercial trucks like big rigs, so it’s common to see extremely high medical bills, permanent inability to return to work, and the need for a lifetime of care. Compensatory damages may be awarded for a victim’s physical, financial, emotional, and mental injuries including:
- Medical bills,
- Loss of income and future earning capacity,
- Pain and Suffering,
- Loss of consortium, and
- Property damage.
In some circumstances, victim’s may be entitled to additional damages to punish a defendant’s particularly vile or reprehensible behavior and discourage repetition of the conduct by them or others. Punitive damage awards may be large and are completely at the court’s discretion, so victims must be prepared to satisfy a high burden of proof. The strategy required and difficulty of securing these awards means consulting with an experienced Wildomar Highway Accident Lawyer is a wise idea.
Speak to an Attorney Today
If you or a loved one were injured during an accident on one of the highways or busy roads intersecting with highways in the Southern California area, you understand how catastrophic the impact of these collisions can be physically, financially, and emotionally. Time is not on your side, so contact the experienced Wildomar Highway Accident Attorneys at Walton Law, APC to fight for the compensation you deserve starting today. Our skilled attorneys have been providing comprehensive, dedicated representation on behalf of victims just like you and delivering results; we’ve recovered millions in compensation for our clients’ injuries. Contact us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at (866)-338-7079 or using our online Contact Page to schedule your no risk, no obligation initial case evaluation today. The confidential consultation is free, and you pay nothing until we win your case. Let us review your case and work to secure the best possible results for you from an unfortunate, avoidable situation.